Healthy Travel Advice
Prevent the most common travel-related illnesses with precautions.
Checklist for the traveler depending on the destination:
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Risk related to the area (urban or rural) causing diseases
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Type of accommodation (hotel, camping, etc.)
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Length of stay
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Altitude
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Security problem (conflict area)
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Vaccination status
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Availability of medication and medical facilities
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Medical insurance with appropriate cover abroad, including medical repatriation
Prevention:
You can help to prevent the most common travel related illnesses with simple precautions such as taking care with food and water and preventing insect bites.
Food, Drink and Hygiene:
Good personal hygiene, including frequent hand washing, is important to help to protect yourself. Safer eating and drinking habits can also make a difference.
Many diseases are caught by consuming contaminated food or drink. These include Traveler's Diarrhea, Hepatitis A, and Typhoid Fever.
Travelers' diarrhea is the most frequent illness associated with travel to developing countries, affecting 30-80% of travelers in the first two weeks of their trip. "Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it" is the golden rule.
Advice:
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Drinking water: boil or sterilize it before use. Use bottled water and check the seal is intact on purchase. Use for drinking, washing food, and for cleaning your teeth
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Avoid both ICE CUBES and ICE CREAM unless you are sure that they are made from clean water
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Avoid food which has been reheated, kept warm, or exposed to flies
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Avoid uncooked food unless you have prepared it YOURSELF
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Shellfish is particularly hazardous
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Remember that salads washed in untreated water will be unclean
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Avoid unpasteurized milk or boil it before use
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Always wash hands before eating
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Do not pet stray or wild animals, especially dog, monkeys and avoid bat-caves. Herpes B, Rabies and e.g., Marburg, Ebola are diseases with high fatality rates! See website cdc.gov for advice